Tandem riser slap

[riggerrob 558]

How many tandem instructors have been slapped upside the head by risers, during deployment?

I know a dozen Strong TIs who have been slapped, but Vector TIs seem to ignore it.
Why the difference?

Is the larger hardware to blame on Strongs?

Do other manufacturers mount 3-Rings in different locations?

,,, any techniques to minimize riser slap?

[diablopilot 2]

I have not noticed it, and there are no marks on my helmet to indicate it's happening.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Sebazz1 2]

I have jumped Eclipse and Vector Tandems... The Eclipse riser covers will wack the shit out of you in freefall. Hence why I wear a frap hat when jumping Eclipse tandem rigs. I have never had an issue with the Vector Tandem rigs the riser covers are short...


As for actuall risers slapping me on deployment? I have never in my 1,100 + tandems been slapped by the actual risers in freefall or on deployment by either the Eclipse or the Vector...

[iowa 0]

I was asking this question last year. Bill Booth responded that he wasn't aware of any problems like that.

I have Strong and Vector ratings. After thinking about it a while I realized that when doing Vector I'm the only Tan/I around. When doing Strong I'm one of many and notice welts on other Tan/I's necks and have others with the same expierence to discuss it with. I've even bloodied my ear when wearing a frap hat.

I don't recall ever being wacked in the ear or neck by the Vector.

Do a search and you should find something on "riser slap" to see what Bill said. It has something to do with how the drogue collapses before pulling the bag off.

Keith

''Always do sober what you said you would do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.'' - Ernest Hemingway

[TXSkydancer 0]

I posted my "riser slap" in response to the question about hard helmets and frap hats for tandems. I had a brisk opening on a Strong Tandem rig with a riser slap so hard it bloodied my ear and bruised it into the inner ear. This was with the frap hat on. I now where an open face hard helmet. I've also seen the other tandem instructors at the DZ receive some nasty slaps to the neck and a good friend lost his pro dytter off his helmet from one.

Blue Skies and Safe Landings!

[AggieDave 6]

Its happened to me twice on a Sigma. The first was a packing thing, the risers weren't even when packed, the second was a student with severe body position problems, which I was countering in freefall, but were manifested during opening.

It wasn't bad, only the first one ended up looking like a hicky.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[slotperfect 7]

I have jumped mostly Vectors and Sigmas. I can't say I have ever had a riser slap. I will say that I am very proactive in getting control of the risers by putting my hand high on the rear risers when they come up. Yesterday, I had a half-twist throught the entire opening. I got my hands on the risers quick enough to intentionally keep them spread apart and away from piching (or slapping) my big noggin in between them.

Arrive Safely

John

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

I will say that I am very proactive in getting control of the risers by putting my hand high on the rear risers when they come up.

The two riser slaps I've had happened while the risers were coming off the container, as the bag was being lifted off my back. Long before we as the tandem pair were "stood up" by the deploying main. Honestly I don't think it would have been physically possible to get my hands on the risers before I got "kissed" in my experience.

I am like you, though, once we're stood up, my hands are on the risers, flying the opening (well, after waving at the camera guy during the first part of the snivel ). Honestly, though, besides a very ocassional linetwist, the biggest problem I've had to deal with under a Sigma main is collapsed endcells from a very sweet opening. Then again, I only have 68 tandem jumps, so I'm sure I'll experience something more "exciting" before long.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[EvilSteve 0]

Not if I have anything to say about it!

[Tonto 1]

I have 750 Tandems on Vectors, jump no helmet, and have never been slapped. I think you should add "never" to your poll.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[pd190 0]

I'm still getting my feet wet, but I haven't really had any serious slaps. I usually jump Strongs. If I'm getting slapped, it's not that hard.

I did have my DZO ask me me last weekend why I had red rash marks on my neck. (I thought it was from the naked romps in the woods.) but it could be a riser rub.

[pullhigh 0]

I only jump Strong, so can't compare. I have been slapped a few times, enough to make me wear a hard helmet on tandems now, but it isn't often. When it has happened, it seems like the large ring of the three ring system/ student harness connection is what whacks me.

Ganja

[bclark 0]

Sorry I voted blank, but I have never been slapped. 450 tandems on Strong gear w/ SET 400's. Only 2 jumps on Vector during cross training. I have seen other people get slapped.

[billbooth 10]

The reason "riser slap" is extremely rare on Vector/Sigma type rigs is that the drogue is designed to collapse sooner in the deployment sequence than on Strong rigs, and therefore pulls the bag out of the container with a lot less force. For instance, the container-opening-to-line-stretch time on a Vector is around 3/4 of a second (about the same as on your solo rig), while it is less than 1/4 second on a Strong rig. This extremely fast deployment time causes the risers to snap like a whip as they deploy...and if your head is in the way, watch out.

[AggieDave 6]

Mr. Booth,

I know I can explain, atleast I think I can, how I got riser slap on a Sigma, though.

I was having to really "fly" my student, due to very odd body position on her part. Instead of trying to fix my student's body position, I just went with it, when I pulled the drogue release, we slide off to our left slide slightly in that 3/4 of a second, when the risers got "real" tension from the canopy coming out of the bag, we got "whipped" back to the correct place.

All of this was basically my fault due to lack of experience, I think that was on my 15th tandem or something like that.

Does that seem like a reasonable explaination, or would you have a different view on how that may have happened?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[billbooth 10]

Dave;

What happened to you is not the same as the "riser slap" most posters have been talking about. Deploying on your side will of course cause your head to come in contact with a riser. But this will most likely not cause injury, as a real riser slap can and often does. You CAN have a riser slap on a Vector or Sigma, if you drogue fails to deflate quickly, as designed. But this rapid deployment is a malfunction...not something that occurs on every jump.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I have never been slapped upside the head with a tandem riser. I regularly jump a first edition Vector (with drogue and an Icarus main now), a Vector II, three Sigmas, and have some jumps on an Eclipse with Icarus main. I roll pack, but have also stack packed (as per manufacturer recommendation) and jumped plenty of PRO packed mains. Never slapped no matter which way they were packed. I have jumped stuff as old as the original HiLifter main, the EZ series, two sizes of Sigma mains, and two sizes of Icarus. I have not and will never have a Strong rating, though we own four and maintain two in jump-ready state. Both have old, piece of shit 425's in them and I loathe to task my staff to jump them.

Chuck

[skymedic 0]

My one and only tandem jump was on a strong rig...it opened nice and slow at first...snivel snivel snivle...POW!!! it hurt so bad it knocked the wind out of me...my TM was knocked three ways from sunday...and was temporarily knocked out...here I was out front now way of grabing toggles and we are flying AWAY from the DZ.

after a couple of slaps to his face he was up and awake...we flew and landed just fine with a stand up landing...but a few hours later he totaly didn't remember the jump. ended up with a cut lip and a concusion...

be carefull out there...

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[jeremyneas 0]

Rated on Strong, Eclipse, Vector, Sigma

Eclipse defenately takes the award for turning my head into a pinball trying to check the drogue.

With the frap deployed they aim for the cheek and neck. Tricky little bastards.

J.Neas

[AggieDave 6]

Mr. Booth,

Well, I came in contact with a riser hard enough to cause pain, swelling and a deep bruise. Looked almost like a really bad hicky.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."